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Thursday, 28 September 2017

3 Struggles of Having a Fringe (and how to deal)

So you've taken the plunge and allowed a hairdresser to get scissor-happy across your forehead. Your fringe sits perfectly and frames your features just right. Then a day or so later you WASH YOUR HAIR and think that maybe going for the chop wasn't such a fabulous idea after all...

I've had a fringe on and off since the age of 7. Full and thick, short and blunt, to the side, cut by my mum and lopsided, choppy and textured- you name the fringe, I've had it. With all this experience of fringe-bearing I know all about the very real struggles that come with a slab of hair hanging over your forehead.

The Cowlick

I have a cowlick on the right hand side of my fringe and the struggle is real. Letting my hair air dry results in a lovely straight fringe three quarters of the way across my forehead then BAM a random chunk of fringe that curves off to the side in a sort of 90's boyband floppy-curtain-hair way. If I am just air-drying my hair (which 99% of the time is my hair drying method...) I just use kirby grips/ bobby pins to sort of train the cowlick bit to lay more flat. I have naturally straight hair so more often than not, just pinning the fringe across to one side with a couple of grips for a few hours or while I do my makeup makes it look a bit less wayward. After years of having various fringes I have come to appreciate that hair grips are almost essential when you have a fringe.

The Grease Factor

Greasy hair is just not nice is it? But a greasy fringe? Heinous! Fringes oil up quickly because they are pretty much in constant contact with one's forehead, and there's not a whole lot you can do to avoid the inevitable - you can delay it though with this nifty trick. Powder your forehead. That's right, once you've finished doing your make up, sweep some translucent and mattifying powder across your forehead to keep excess oil at bay and away from your fringe. Any sort of powder will do but from my experience, those designed for oily skin work best. If your fringe still gets greasy quickly and you're not into washing your hair everyday, keep in mind that there's no law against tying or pinning your hair back and just washing your fringe when you feel it needs it. Also, dry shampoo used sparingly will sort you out if you don't have the time or inclination to wash your bangs.

Growing Pains

There's no denying that growing out a fringe is generally pretty awkward and tedious. They seem to grow so quickly too don't they! Growing out a fringe is another scenario where hair grips are your best friend - sometimes there is no other option than to pin it back and hope for the best. In the past, I've braided a growing-out fringe with the rest of my hair to keep it out of my face (hairspray helps in this situation to stop the shorter bits of hair popping out) and also rolled/ twisted the fringe back before pinning. Once the fringe is getting a bit of length to it, start 'training' it over to one side by brushing it to an angle (like a long side fringe) and adding a bit of product to keep it in place. If the growing out phase is just too annoying, head back to your hairdresser for a fringe trim and tidy up - most will do it for free or for around £5 - £10.

While fringes can be annoying to maintain and often add more time to your morning routine, the extra effort is totally worth it. I love that I just look a bit more polished when I'm sporting a fringe even when I'm wearing ludicrously odd socks and have baby drool down my front.

UK Beauty & Lifestyle Blog

Contact: hannah@lippyinlondon.com

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